Norwalk, Connecticut (July 30, 2024) – With darkness descending across the vast Shorehaven Golf Club coastal layout Chris Fosdick stepped to the tee on the 201-yard par-3 17th hole. Already 6 under on the day and in the lead late in the second round of the 90th Connecticut Open presented by GSB Fosdick was looking for more.
With a 6 iron in hand and the wind whipping, Fosdick lofted his ball into the twilight sky and watched the wind work the ball directly towards the pin. For a moment it looked like the ball had disappeared into the cup but after lipping out the ball came to rest two inches from the pin.
Moments later Fosdick was able to tap in for a birdie, his seventh of the day, to move to 10 under and two clear of Jackson Roman (Shuttle Meadow CC).
With the horn to suspend play for darkness pending Fosdick stepped to the tee on the closing par-4 18th and stripped a drive down the middle of the fairway and just as play was being called for the day he was able to convert a routine par. His par on the last capped off a 7 under 64 that included seven birdies, an eagle on the par-5 12th, and just one bogey.
“Nothing really stuck out to me,” an ecstatic Fosdick said after his round. “I just did everything well. We call it blacking out and that is what happened today. I just forgot my name.”
Fosdick (Middlefield, Conn.) began his day 3 under and two-putted the par-5 first for birdie to quickly move to 4 under. However, he really hit the accelerator when he rolled in a 35-foot birdie putt on the par-4 sixth setting the stage for his bogey-free 6 under 30 on the back nine that vaulted him to the top of the leaderboard.
Now Fosdick will look to win his first professional event on the course he won the 202o Connecticut Amateur.
“I don’t know what it is about the course, but I really like it,” Fosdick said. “I have good memories here in the past and hopefully, I can make more good memories tomorrow.”
Jackson Roman, who fired a 7 under 64 himself, put together an impressive bogey-free 5 under 31 on the back nine and will begin the final round in second place at 8 under.
A rising junior for Loyola University Maryland, Jackson concluded his round with an impressive birdie on the 383-yard par-4 18th.
In the fairway after his drive Jackson was faced with an uphill second shot into a strong wind. With 171 yards left to the pin, his caddie and sister Kenna Roman, suggested he take some extra club. With her advice in mind, Roman selected his 200-yard club, his 6 iron, and hit a brilliant shot to eight feet above the pin. Now facing a lightning quick birdie putt from above the hole Jackson barely got the ball rolling and watched for what felt like an entirety as the ball trickled towards the hole before just dropping over the edge.
His birdie on No. 18 was his third straight and fourth in the last five holes of his round.
“I’ve had a lot of events in college the past year and throughout the summer where I’ve been in contention but I haven’t been able to close yet,” Jackson Roman said. “But last week I was able to get through U.S. Amateur qualifying which definitely helped me get over a little bit of a mental hump. So I’m going to come out and just do the same thing in the final round.”
Anthony Guerrera (Watertown GC) reached 9 under at one point before settling for a second round 3 under 68 that moved him to 7 under and third place. One shot further back in a tie for fourth place at 6 under are Cody Paladino (Hartford GC), Clark Robinson (Wethersfield CC), Mike Ballo, Jr. (Tamarack CC), and Jason Thresher (West Suffield, Conn.)
The second round of the 90th Connecticut Open will resume at 7:30 a.m. with the final round scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. off the first and 10th tees. The top 50 players and ties will advance to the final round.
About the Connecticut State Golf Association
The Connecticut Open is one of 20 championships conducted by the Connecticut State Golf Association. The CSGA functions as an extension of the USGA and provides stewardship for amateur golf in Connecticut. Founded in 1899, it is the country’s oldest state golf association and conducts over 60 Championships, Qualifiers, and One Day Tournaments throughout the year.
